Daily Web Updates/Summary & Analysis ReportsIISD Reporting Services (IISD RS) has produced daily web updates and a summary and analysis of the POPRC-9 meeting. To download our report, kindly click the HTML or PDF icons below. In addition, IISD RS has produced web updates from the POPRC9/CRC Joint Session and CRC-9 meeting. A summary and analysis of CRC9/CRC-POPRC9 Joint Session will be available on this site on Monday, 28 October 2013.

Ninth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC9) of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, Ninth meeting of the Chemical Review Committee (CRC9) of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, andPOPRC and CRC Joint Session

The ninth meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC-9) to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) opened on Monday at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy. Jim Willis, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam conventions, welcomed participants to Rome, noting that the back-to-back and joint meetings of the POPRC and the Rotterdam Convention’s Chemical Review Committee (CRC) offer an opportunity for broader discussion on the technical work underpinning the global chemicals conventions. Executive Secretary Willis also highlighted the recent adoption of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, calling it “the most significant chemicals agreement since the Stockholm Convention.”

In the morning, POPRC-9 reviewed the relevant outcomes of the sixth meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Stockholm Convention and began consideration of the draft risk management evaluations for chlorinated naphthalenes (CNs) and hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD). During lunch, participants attended a side event on alternatives to hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD). Notably, this side event was also presented as a webinar, enabling individuals not attending POPRC-9 to participate. In the afternoon, the Committee continued its work on HCBD, reviewed the approach to the evaluation of chemicals in accordance with Annex E to the Convention, and began consideration of the draft risk profile for pentachlorophenol, its salts and esters (PCPs).

In the evening, participants divided into several groups. Drafting groups convened to revise the draft risk management evaluation on CNs and continue work on the approach to Annex E; a “Friends of the Chair” group convened to continue work on the draft risk management evaluation of HCBD; and a contact group met to consider the draft risk profile of PCPs.

A view of the dais on the opening day of POPRC-9, held at the FAO headquarters in Rome

Svitlana Sukhorebra, Ukraine, Chair of the intersessional working group on chlorinated naphthalenes

L-R: Timo Seppälä, Finland, and Peter Dawson, New Zealand, co-chairs of the intersessional working group on alternatives to HBCD, hosted a side event that was broadcast live as a webinar to enable the participation of individuals not attending POPRC-9.